1,000 Places to See Before You Die

by Patricia Schultz

  Start in Kagawa in the northeast, where the capital city, Takamatsu, is the first major train stop across the Seto Ohashi Bridge, and be sure to visit the traditional garden Ritsurin-koen. Moving east brings you to Tokushima prefecture. Its main city is also called Tokushima, and in August, over a million tourists converge here to enjoy the Awa Odori, when groups of thousands of choreographed dancers spill onto the streets accompanied by musicians as part of the Obon, a festival celebrating the spirits of the dead.

  Kochi, capital of the southern prefecture of the same name, has a splendid castle, as does Matsuyama, the capital of Ehime, in the west. Here, you’ll also find the venerable Dogo Onsen (hot springs) resort, the oldest in Japan, mentioned in the 1,300-year-old history book Nihon-shoki. There are several luxurious ryokan in Dogo, all with their own onsen, but don’t miss sampling the waters at the public facility Dogo Onsen Honkan, housed in a handsome wooden structure dating to 1894. Treat yourself to a private room on the third floor, where you’ll be served tea and sweet rice dough balls after a restorative soak in the mineral-laden waters.

  One of Japan’s largest gardens, Ritsurin-koen is known for its pine trees as well as its teahouse.

  WHERE: Matsuyama, Shikoku’s largest city, is 332 miles/534 km southwest of Osaka. HOW: U.S.-based Wilderness Travel offers 13-day trips. Tel 800-368-2794 or 510-558-2488; www.wildernesstravel.com. Cost: $6,995. Originate in Osaka. When: late Oct. BEST TIMES: late Mar–Apr for cherry blossoms; Aug 9–12 for Yosakoi dance festivals in Kochi; Aug 12–15 for Awa Odori in Tokushima; Oct for autumn foliage.

  Remote, Vast, and Hauntingly Beautiful

  THE GOBI DESERT

  Mongolia

  Lying between Siberia to the north and the Tibetan Plateau to the south—and covering a landmass of 500,000 square miles—the Gobi is one of the most remote and least trodden deserts in the world. The third largest in the world after the Sahara and Arabian Deserts, it covers nearly one-third of Mongolia. It’s also one of the world’s most beautiful, with mountain peaks, gravel plains, grasslands, desert steppes, sand dunes, and oases.

  But there’s a reason this is also one of the world’s least inhabited deserts: The Gobi (“desert” in Mongolian) can be inhospitable, with extreme temperatures (ranging from -20°F in winter to 100°F in summer), near-continuous winds, and little rain. The best way to explore is by four-wheel drive or organized camel trips, during which you might spot herds of wild horses or encounter nomadic herdsmen living in the round, tentlike huts known as gers, into which you’ll likely be invited for food and drink.

  Only about 3 percent of the Gobi is covered by sand—including the Singing Sands dunes, so named for the peculiar sound made by the winds blowing over the smooth, round grains—the rest is mostly gravel plains and exposed rock. One of the most famous rock formations is the Flaming Cliffs, named by American explorer and paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews for its vivid red sandstone cliffs. In 1923, Andrews and his team made the world’s first discovery of dinosaur eggs here. Since then thousands of bones and footprints have been found in the area, including the remains of a velociraptor; organized tours are sometimes invited to help excavate. Trekking along the Jargalant mountain range or within the Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park is also unparalleled.

  Not far from the Flaming Cliffs, the Three Camel Lodge—a sophisticated, eco-efficient ger camp—appears like a mirage. It’s a stylish refuge lodge of Mongolian traditional design, with wood stoves, solar-powered electricity, and hand-painted furniture. Its biggest perk may be the remarkable stargazing in this remote and incomparably beautiful place.

  Dinosaur fossils, including the first eggs ever unearthed, were discovered near the Flaming Cliffs.

  WHERE: Dalandzagrad is the gateway to the Gobi, 344 miles/553 km northeast of Ulaanbaatar, the capital. HOW: U.S.- and Mongolia-based Nomadic Expeditions offers organized group tours and customized guided individual tours. In Ulaanbaatar, tel 976/11-313396; in the U.S., 800-998-6634; www.nomadicexpeditions.com. Cost: 12-day trips from $2,885, all-inclusive. Originate in Ulaanbaatar. THREE CAMEL LODGE: Tels same as Nomadic Expeditions; www.threecamellodge.com. Cost: from $250, inclusive. BEST TIMES: May–Sep for pleasant temperatures; late Jan–late Feb for camel races and polo matches at the 1,000 Camel Festival.

  An Ancient Tradition in the Altai Mountains

  THE GOLDEN EAGLE FESTIVAL

  Mongolia

  For centuries, the nomadic people of Mongolia’s Altai Mountains have hunted with the aid of the magnificent golden eagle—one of the world’s most powerful raptors and a symbol of military might—to capture small mammals for pelts and food. To honor and preserve this ancient tradition, the Golden Eagle Festival has been held each October since 2000 in Mongolia’s Bayan-Ölgii Province, home to the Kazakhs, a Turkic minority group who number about 80,000 in this region (many have emigrated to nearby Kazakhstan since the fall of Communism in Russia). Eagle hunters and festivalgoers arrive from miles around on horseback for a competition held in an open valley surrounded by the snowcapped Altai Mountains. Wearing traditional clothing, competitors partake in events that measure the speed, agility, and accuracy of their magnificent hunting eagles. Eagles are released from peaks, and then race to land on the galloping rider’s arms. Those with the fastest speeds and best techniques get the highest scores—and so the competition unfolds.

  The best-known bird of prey in the Northern Hemisphere, the golden eagle enjoys an almost mystical reverence in Central Asia. With its powerful legs, talons, and a wingspan of 6 to 7 feet, it can snatch up animals as large as young deer. For centuries they’ve been trained in western Mongolia to attack foxes and wolves. The festival promotes both the conservation of the golden eagle and the traditional culture of the Kazakh people. Visitors can ride on horseback with the hunters or visit an eagle hunter’s family to see how the birds are trained.

  These magnificent “gold mountains” stand on the edge of Siberia where Mongolia, China, Russia, and Kazakhstan meet and are an important habitat for endangered animals, including the snow leopard. It’s an increasingly popular destination even outside the time of the festival, when small groups come to hike through untracked terrain, their gear carried ahead by horses and camels. Such a trek offers the unbeatable chance to meet nomadic Kazakh families, camp along alpine lakes at 9,800 feet (in the shadow of 14,350-foot Tavan Bogd Uul, Mongolia’s highest mountain peak), and encounter sites rich with centuries-old Neolithic petroglyphs.

  WHERE: 780 miles/1,250 km west of Ulaanbaatar. HOW: U.S.- and Mongolia-based Nomadic Expeditions offers an 11-day tour including the Golden Eagle Festival and 4 days of staying in nomadic gers and riding with local eagle hunters. Tel in Ulaanbaatar, 976/11-313396; in the U.S., 800-998-6634; www.nomadicexpeditions.com. Cost: from $2,275. When: Sep–Oct (other departures Aug–Sep). U.S.-based Wilderness Travel leads a 15-day tour that includes hiking in the Altai Mountains. Tel 800-368-2794 or 510-558-2488; www.wildernesstravel.com. Cost: $5,395. Originates in Ulaanbaatar. When: Jun, Aug. BEST TIMES: Jun–Sep for hiking in the Altai Mountains; early Oct for the Golden Eagle Festival.

  In the Wake of Genghis Khan

  THE STEPPES AND FORESTS OF MONGOLIA

  Mongolia

  Ever since Genghis Khan encouraged his people to live by the sword, not the plow, Mongolians have been nomadic herders, holding to their horse-based culture and leaving vast tracks of ruggedly beautiful countryside virtually untouched over the centuries. To experience the land and spirit of this traditionally hospitable nation that’s half the size of Europe (and fiercely independent since breaking free in 1990 from the Communist rule that began in the ’20s), get on a horse or jump in a jeep to ride through a largely undisturbed landscape—one of Asia’s last wild places.

  Small, organized groups head out from Lake Hovsgol, known as the “dark blue pearl” and one of the deepest freshwater lakes in the world. Ride through forests of Siberian larch trees and magenta fireweed before descending to the grassy steppe of the Darhat Valley, a huge b
asin edged on three sides by mountains. You might encounter isolated campsites made up of gers (known elsewhere by the Turkic word “yurts”), the traditional felt-covered homes of nomadic herders who customarily invite visitors in for a bowl of mutton soup or a cup of airag, fermented mare’s milk. You may also meet the Tsaatan, an ethnic minority that raises, rides, and herds reindeer and lives in the taiga forest.

  The region of Arhangay is known for its beautiful scenery of forests, rivers, and mountains, and in its small towns, races among the stout and sturdy Mongolian horses take place during colorful Naadam, a 3-day national holiday held each July. Headlining the festival are the Three Manly Games (Eriin Gurvan Naadam) that epitomize the culture of Mongolia: archery, wrestling, and horseback-riding, with participants in traditional dress. More than 1,000 years old, and with its roots in the hunting expeditions of the Mongolian army, this Olympics-like sporting competition is a timeless test of strength and endurance held throughout the country. It’s experienced most genuinely in smaller towns with fewer tourists—though it’s a heart-stopping sensation to witness the horse race just outside the capital of Ulaanbaatar, a more professional (and crowded) affair during which more than 600 horses charge across the open steppe in a headlong gallop on a 10-mile course.

  Women wear traditional silk robes for the Nadaam festival.

  HOW: U.S.-based Boojum Expeditions offers a 13-day horse trek that includes Naadam. Tel 800-287-0125 or 406-587-0125; www.boojum.com. Cost: from $2,150, all inclusive. Originates in Ulaanbaatar. When: Jul (other departures available). U.S.- and Ulaanbaatar-based Nomadic Expeditions leads a variety of trips to Mongolia. In the U.S., tel 800-998-6634 or 609-860-9008; in Mongolia, 976/11-313396; www.nomadic expeditions.com. Cost: 14-day trip $3,650, all-inclusive. BEST TIMES: May–Oct to avoid cold weather; early Jul for Naadam festival.

  An Ancient Capital Embraces Modernity

  SEOUL’S DESIGN BOOM

  Seoul, South Korea

  Until recently, Seoul’s cityscape has been dominated by the unremarkable gray buildings erected after the Korean War in the 1950s; today, residents sometimes have trouble orienting themselves, due to round-the-clock construction. It’s thanks to a vibrant economy—fueled by the likes of electronics leaders Samsung and LG Electronics—and sweeping plans to transform Seoul into an international design destination. And its time may have already come: The International Council of Industrial Design named the city “World Design Capital” in 2010.

  Visitors will find ambitious design and urban renewal plans throughout the city—in the harmonized street graphics, bus shelters, and public benches, and in massive new construction projects, some associated with celebrity architects like Rem Koolhaas, Daniel Libeskind, and Jean Nouvel. You’ll have to wait until 2014 to see the new opera house, being built on an island in the cleaned-up Han River, but for now you can wander through the new design district, or Dogndaemun History and Culture Park, created by architect Zaha Hadid. While away some time in the cafés along the banks of the Han, or investigate the art scene flourishing in the pleasant Samcheong-dong neighborhood. You’ll not be alone, as local competitions like the Design Olympiad are nurturing a grassroots interest in culture, style, and design.

  Continue gazing at all that’s new and stunning in the Cheongdam-dong district near Dosan Park, where Belgian fashion designer Ann Demeulemeester’s dramatic flagship store represents the new design spirit with its curved lines and vegetation-covered outer walls. The same goes for the Leeum Samsung Museum of Art, featuring art by Korean and international artists and designed in part by Koolhaas and Nouvel. Adding an almost Vegas feel to it all is the Moonlit Rainbow Fountain on the Banpo Bridge; it’s the world’s longest bridge fountain, shooting 190 tons of water a minute from 10,000 nozzles and illuminated with colored lights.

  Glimpse Seoul’s high-tech future at the Digital Media City complex—a wired “city” of electronics manufacturers, researchers and developers, universities, apartments, and exhibition spaces that have been under construction for the past decade. When the new sleek 133-story skyscraper is completed in 2015, it will be the second-tallest building in the world.

  Explore the new direction of nouvelle Korean food at stylish Jung Sik Dang, where creative dishes like kimchi consommé or green salad with grasshopper are on the menu. You can check into a cutting-edge new room at the IP Boutique Hotel, which has a playful design approach through its colorful Lego-like exterior and bold contemporary furnishings. The luxury W Hotel, meanwhile, perched on a hillside outside the city center, has sleek lines and soothing views of the Han River.

  LEEUM SAMSUNG MUSEUM OF ART: Tel 82/2-2014-6900; www.leeum.samsungfoundation.org. DIGITAL MEDIA CITY: www.dmc.seoul.go.kr. JUNG SIK DANG: Tel 82/2-517-4654; www.jungsikdang.com. Cost: dinner $98. IP BOUTIQUE HOTEL: Tel 82/2-3702-8000; www.ipboutiquehotel.com. Cost: from $180. W HOTEL: Tel 82/2-465-2222; www.wseoul.com. Cost: from $230.

  Splendors from the Past

  THE PALACES OF THE JOSEON DYNASTY

  Seoul, South Korea

  The capital of the nation for centuries, today’s Seoul is one of the densest places in the world, with more than 24 million people crammed in a sprawling metropolis of high-rises and neon-lit streets. But Seoul is also home to some of the country’s most historic and beautiful buildings, including the elaborate Five Grand Palaces, sitting behind imposing walls and gates in the heart of bustling downtown. The palaces are a testament to Korea’s feudal past, all built during the Joseon Dynasty (the last royal and imperial dynasty), which reigned for almost 500 years, from the 14th to the 19th centuries.

  Two of the five are exceptional: the Gyeongbokgung Palace (Palace of Shining Happiness) and the nearby Chandeokgung Palace (Palace of Prospering Virtue), both in the Jongno-gu district. The Gyeongbokgung is the city’s oldest and largest palace—first constructed in 1392 and the country’s main seat of power through the centuries—and its scale is staggering. With fairy-tale views and a backdrop of the Bukansan mountain range, the palace was the traditional home to kings for 200 years until the Japanese invasion of 1592. Five hundred buildings stood on its property when it was first built, making it a city unto itself. Visit the beautiful lotus pond, then exit through the back gate and stroll past Blue House, South Korea’s presidential residence.

  The Jongmyo Royal Shrine, perched on the eastern edge of the Gyeongbokgung Palace grounds and surrounded by dense woodland, is believed to hold the spirits of deceased kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty. Built in 1385, it’s also the country’s oldest preserved royal Confucian shrine, and each May it is the site of a ceremony in honor of deceased monarchs.

  More than 13 of Korea’s kings have lingered in the beautiful wooded Secret Garden of the Changdeokgung Palace. Despite its central location in busy Seoul, wandering its pathways and crossing the elegant stone bridges spanning ponds (the Arch of Longevity was carved from a single piece of stone) feels like a walk in the countryside. It was constructed in 1405 and rebuilt in the 17th century, and today, in the summer months, the palace provides a glorious backdrop for music, dance, and opera.

  Changdeokgung Palace’s Secret Garden contains trees that are centuries old.

  VISITOR INFO: www.visitseoul.net. GYEONGBOKGUNG PALACE: www.royalpalace.go.kr. JONGMYO ROYAL SHRINE: www.jongmyo.net. CHANGDEOKGUNG PALACE: http://eng.cdg.go.kr/. WHERE TO STAY: A long-time favorite, the elegant Shilla Seoul is set in a 23-acre private park. Tel 88/2-2233-3131; www.shilla.net. Cost: from $350. BEST TIMES: late Mar–May for spring weather, late Aug–Oct for pleasant and cool weather.

  SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA

  Whirling Spectacle of Tradition

  THE FESTIVALS OF BHUTAN

  Bhutan

  The sacred festivals of Bhutan—or tsechus—are the perfect way to take in the rich Buddhist heritage of the country known as the “Land of the Thunder Dragon.” Filled with the sounds of flutes, cymbals, and trumpets and the sight of people dancing in magnificent, brightly colored traditional dress, the festivals take place around
the country throughout the year. The largest are usually held in the courtyards of the great dzongs—fortified monasteries that are the centers of religion, education, and government in each district of the small Himalayan kingdom.

  Of the nearly two dozen annual festivals in Bhutan, the most famous is the Paro Festival. Taking place in mid-March in the city of Paro, it’s a celebration held in honor of Guru Padmasambhava (aka Guru Rinpoche), who introduced Tantric Buddhism to the Himalayan region in the 8th century. The event draws throngs of joyful Bhutanese from all over the valley, while monks or trained laymen wear magnificent masks and costumes, taking on aspects of deities, demons, and animals, dancing and reenacting Himalayan Buddhist legends and visions seen by Buddhist saints. The performances are meant to bring blessings and protection to onlookers.

  Another of the country’s major festivals, created in 1670 to celebrate the birth of Guru Rinpoche, is held in the capital city of Thimphu at the beginning of October. It takes place in the courtyard of the Tashichho dzong, drawing crowds from miles around. Later that month, as part of the celebrations during the Bumthang Fire Dance Festival, participants gather behind a procession of monks who lead them to a field where a huge arch is set on fire. It is believed that this will purify the souls of those who dare dance through the flames. The festival, held in Punakha in late February, reenacts the 17th-century Bhutanese victory over the Tibetan army.